Outdoor flood lights are commonly used in both residential and commercial settings for increased security and improved appearance. For years, most outdoor flood lights have utilized large incandescent bulbs, which perform acceptably well under most circumstances. In a typical conventional fixture, two such bulbs, commonly referred to in the industry as "PAR 38" lamps, are provided on a single base, with each bulb being retained by a socket secured to the base through a hinged connector providing multiple degrees of adjustability.
In more recent years, quartz halogen lamps have become increasingly popular for use in outdoor flood lights, due to their attractive appearance, increased light generation, superior efficiency (measured in lumens/watt), and longer life. Quartz halogen flood light assemblies typically comprise a single fixture adjustably mounted on a base, utilizing a dual-end lamp horizontally mounted within a rectangular housing, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,931 issued Oct. 18, 1983 to De Canalia et al., and 3,832,540 issued Aug. 27, 1974 to Roth.
It has been discovered that conventional quartz halogen fixtures have at least two significant drawbacks. First, due to the relatively large size of the housing required for a dual-end lamp, it is not feasible to include two housings in a single assembly for most applications. Therefore, the area to be lighted by a single assembly is significantly reduced. Second, dual-end lamps must be maintained in a substantially horizontal position in order to avoid a significant reduction in life span. Accordingly, a conventional quartz halogen fixture is severely limited in its degrees of adjustability. These disadvantages, particularly when combined, may severely reduce the feasibility of quartz halogen flood lights for many users and in many applications.
Conventional quartz halogen flood light fixtures comprise a single component housing, having a removable lens secured to its face. Replacement of the lamp typically requires removal of the lens by disengaging a plurality of clamps or latches disposed around its perimeter. It has also been recognized that such fixtures are comparatively expensive, due to their size and number of components. Furthermore, lamp replacement typically requires an inordinate number of steps for removal and replacement of the lens.
Single-end quartz halogen lamps are produced in a variety of configurations, some with an internal, laterally oriented reflector such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,338 to Scoledge et al., issued Jan. 12, 1971. Others, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,076 to Walsh issued Jul. 21, 1981, disclose a longitudinally oriented reflector whose primary purpose is to increase efficiency by reflecting infrared energy back to the filament. Neither of these devices discloses the use of an internal, longitudinally oriented reflector secured to the filament for use in increasing light projection in the longitudinal direction, particularly in cooperation with an external reflector.